Movie Review: Big Fish!

As an amateur writer, I always find it hardest to write the preamble. I guess that's why I'm an amateur. When reading this review, bear in mind this question: How much do you like stories?

And when I say stories, I mean them in their most basic, archetypical way. Be they fantastical, mythological or interstitial (that big word simply means inter genre) if you have ever heard a story told so well that for a moment your natural disbelief is suspended and you actually see it in your mind's eye (and you like it) then Big Fish is the film for you. Don't worry about the many symbolic references to Americana. Tim Burton's Big Fish is a tribute to the story tellers and listeners in all of us.

Pity that most of us will have to miss its run in our local cinemas. At the time of writing, only two cinemas are screening it, and it may be over by Monday. Pity indeed.

Big Fish marks Tim Burton's return to form. After the lukewarm reception towards his reimagining of Planet of The Apes, Burton once again proves that he is indeed the master of mixing fantasy and reality, grostequerie with beauty and humour and sadness. It seems he has reached back into his humongous bag of tricks (printed and on film) in order to craft this one. If you remember Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas (and the lesser known Oyster Boy), you'll find yourself quite at home here. The main storyline revolves around Edward Bloom (Albert Finney), a successful self made businessman famous throughout his hometown for his funny, often fantastical stories of himself while growing up. It seems as if everyone is charmed by these stories except his son, Will (Billy Crudup). As Will grows up, he finds it difficult to accept a father figure who never tells him anything truthful, and they drift apart. When Will finds out his father is slowly dying of cancer, he decides to break their silence and returns to his hometown with pregnant wife (played by Taxi's Marion Cotillard) in tow. Once there he embarks on a search to understand the person his father was and also ascertain the truth behind the stories he told once and for all...

Big Fish is not a single narrative. Yes, there is the main plotline where Will struggles to make his father cough up the truth once and for all: that his stories were made up fakes, nothing more. But intertwined in it are also Will's relivings of his father's stories, those fantastic tales that he grew up with and which the father defends even as he lies on his deathbed. In these stories-within the story, we see how young Edward Bloom (Ewan McGregor) gets born, grows up, finds adventure and the love of his life all through the process of him telling them to different people. We see the indomitable spirit and ambition of a young man determined to shine in the face of adversity and mediocrity. We see acts of kindness, of love, of compassion, and of humanity. And finally we see that though this is a film about stories, ultimately the stories themselves do not matter. It is the idea of the story, that mythopoeic journey towards manhood (and through life) that resonates with the viewer hours after the credits have rolled and the cinema has darkened.

From the beginning of the film to Edward and Will's final reconciliation (and very King Arthuresque redemption) Big Fish is a nonstop ride into our hopes, dreams and ambitions. It is about the power of words, how they shape us and eventually the people around us into our world. And most importantly (to this reviewer at least) it is about how through these stories a father's love of his family and of life is passed on.

In the end, as always, this film will mean different things to different people, and perhaps just as well. Take it as you will: a whimsical story of filial duty, a so-so morality play or even as a modern day fairy tale. However you wish to do so, please remember one thing: Here there be a giant, a circus ringmaster that turns into a werewolf, a two headed singer, a very big fish and sliding babies on hospital floors. You have been warned. So kick back and enjoy yourself as Tim Burton once again proves that he is master of this particular domain.

Ash.ox gives Big Fish a 4.5 out 5